Classic Weekend gives black community reason to celebrate

Posted: Thursday, September 16, 1999

By Julie Phillips JordanStaff Writer

Out of sheer coincidence, this weekend in Athens is a celebration for the black community on all fronts -- from banquets to sports to a parade to dance to a festival filled with speakers, music, dance performances and visual arts.

While the Edward Wright Memorial Afrocentric Festival gets started at noon Saturday, the Classic City Football Classic Weekend already will be well under way. (See today's Marquee for full details about the Wright Festival.)

The Football Classic, which kicks off with a golf tournament at 8:30 a.m. Friday, is ''by far the biggest event any civic organization, black or white, has put on in Athens before,'' said Rick Dunn, a founding member of Black Men of Athens Inc., sponsor of the event.

The focus of the weekend is a classic football pairing -- Morehouse College vs. Albany State University.

''We discussed this two or three years ago,'' said Dunn. ''And at that time we were real grandiose, thinking that (the University of Georgia's) Sanford Stadium would hold the game.''

Instead, the game will take place at Clarke Central High School.

Before the game Friday there will be a banquet at the Classic Center followed by a stepshow and dance. The stepshow is a competitive event for black fraternities and sororities, and will include a $1,000 prize for the first-place group in each category.

''We've had commitments for the stepshow from as far away as Tallahassee and Tuskegee University,'' Dunn said.

On Saturday, a parade featuring the marching bands from both Morehouse and Albany State, along with local group Rites of Passage, Athens-Clarke Mayor Doc Eldridge, state Labor Commissioner Mike Thurmond and special-interest groups including the Corvette Club and Classic Cars, will start the festivities.

Gates open at Clarke Central several hours before the game for a special Vendor's Village Market featuring black-made wares. Then a battle of the bands will take place before the battle on the football field between the rival colleges.

There are 10,000 tickets available for the game.

''But I'll be happy if we sell 7,000. That'll be a great turnout for a first-time event,'' Dunn said.

Although Dunn said he's happy the Classic City Football Classic Weekend coincides with the Edward Wright Memorial Afrocentric Festival, his one regret is he won't be able to participate in much of the latter. He'll be too busy with organizational details for the football event.

''I think the two events will work well. We're talking about even collaborating more closely with them next year. And the main thing is we just want everyone to come out and enjoy themselves. That's the best politics you can have -- for everyone to have a good time.''